CONTACT DERMATITIS - TOXIC BEAUTY

Contact dermatitis refers to a form of skin inflammation related to eczema that is caused by external substances coming into contact with the skin. It is reported to affect 5-9 per cent of men and 13-15 percent of women.
When substances directly act on the skin causing irritation and inflammation it is known as irritant contact dermatitis, which is the most common type.

Irritant contact dermatitis is particularly common among hairdressers, due to the surfactants, fragrances and colours used in shampoos and conditioners. Where an immune hyper-sensitivity reaction takes place (i.e the immune system provokes a skin reaction), it is referred to as allergic contact dermatitis.

Contact urticaria is an instant reaction to a substance that causes severely itchy welts (swelling on the skin surrounded by redness). This can be either an irritant or an allergic reaction and it is believed that the irritant form can promote the onset of the allergic form.

Irritant contact dermatitis commonly causes itching, swelling, oozing, dryness and crusting. Allergic contact dermatitis normally only takes place in the area of the skin that is exposed to te allergen and occurs as a result of repeated exposure to a substance, which instigates an immune system reaction that causes the skin to become inflamed.

The reaction may not take place until one or two days after exposure. Fragrances and preservatives such as formaldehyde are known to causes of irritant contact dermatitis. It usually subsides once the offending products are no longer used. There are different types of reaction within the two broad definitions of irritant and allergic contact dermatitis. I have provided.

looking at irritant contact dermatitis, for example, subjective irritancy refers to stinging and burning, responses that take place within a short space of time (usually minutes) and is often precipitated by cosmetics or chemical s used in sunscreens. Acute irritant contact dermatitis is frequently initiated by extreme exposure to corrosive and highly concentrated substances, such as occupational work chemicals.

Chronic cumulative irritancy usually occurs through repeated exposure to milder cleansing irritancy usually occurs through repeated exposure to milder cleansing irritants such as detergents, soaps and skin cleansers (wet agents).

Research carried out between 1977 and 1983, found that skin and hair care products and facial make-up were responsible for the majority of cosmetic dermatitis reactions in participants studied. The most common allergic sensitizers in the correct order were: fragrance, the preservatives quaternium -15, formaldehyde, imidazolidinyl urea and parabens, plus p-phenylenediamine and glyceryl monothioglycolate."

Reference: Toxic Beauty : Dawn Fellowship